Lazar Samardzic converted a 98th-minute penalty to secure a dramatic 4-1 victory for Atalanta over Borussia Dortmund, sending the Italians into the Champions League last 16. Despite trailing 2-0 from the first leg, Raffaele Palladino’s side leveled the aggregate score by half-time through Gianluca Scamacca and Davide Zappacosta.
The contest spiraled into late chaos after Mario Pasalic’s go-ahead goal was cancelled out by a stunning Karim Adeyemi solo effort. With extra time looming, Ramy Bensebaini was dismissed for a high boot on Nikola Krstovic, leaving Samardzic to blast home the winner with virtually the last kick of the match.
“When the referee decided for a penalty, I didn’t know who would take it,” admitted defender Sead Kolasinac, noting that most regular takers had already been substituted. The result continues Atalanta’s remarkable resurgence under Palladino, with the club now unbeaten in ten domestic matches throughout 2026.
The defeat marks Dortmund’s earliest European exit since the 2021-22 campaign, leaving the 2024 finalists to rue a series of defensive lapses. Captain Emre Can was scathing in his post-match assessment, admitting that his error-prone side simply “didn’t deserve to advance” after such a vulnerable display.